Editor’s Note- The following are a collection of letters from students regarding the 4 candidates for Governor. Pantherbook will publish pieces like this only when all sides are presented. It is not the intention of Pantherbook to support only one candidate or side of an issue.
Dear Editor:
What creates the Nation’s new leaders? Education does, and that’s what Deval Patrick stands for. With Deval as governor, the students of Massachusetts topped the nation in reading and comprehension scores for three consecutive years. Deval has funded and invested in the Massachusetts school system and helped tackle the state’s achievement gap. He helped expand early childhood education to help students learn more effectively and achieve more in their education. Tim Cahill cut budgets to fund schools and opposed the Common Core standards which would result in a loss of 250 million dollars in education funding. Charlie Baker said, “I don’t know what it’s about to tell you the truth, and on some level I don’t really care,” when asked about the administration’s motivations for working to improve educational standards. Neither of these candidates will be able to create the proper funding needed to help our students and future leaders of this great nation. They do not understand what education means to this country and how it will help us in the future.
– Deval’s Democrats
Dear Editor
Do you want a leader who can help the economy and help create new jobs for young adults who are just getting out of college? Do you want a governor who can put money in your pocket from the amount of tax cuts that he will reform? Then Tim is the choice for this years Massachusetts governor election. Tim really knows how to handle money well as he is the treasurer of Massachusetts. He also know the ideas of determination and hard-work, as he was an assistant coach for a high school wrestling team and worked as landscaper to get himself through college. He really does know how the middle class feels, because that is where and how he grew up
Tim can really appreciate the value of every dollar and unlike that other candidates, he wants to help the middle class. He disagrees with the idea of raising taxes because Tim knows how much of a hassle it is to pay those taxes, especially with the economy the way it is. Yes, teenagers do not need to think about it now, but wait until you will be living on your own and you have to work hard to earn your money. It will be very much easier if there are fewer taxes to be paid.
Tim knows how to handle money after being the Massachusetts state treasurer. He will not waste it on ridiculous projects such as the big dig and Big business bailouts. Tim will not let you down when elected. So, please make the right decision and vote Tim.
– Taxcutting Tims
Dear Editor,
Jill Stein is the change we need! She isn’t fake and ridiculous like the other candidates. Jill knows! The other candidates and their parties support this “education reform bill” which doesn’t benefit us at all. It causes giant cuts from schools. That forces us to have bigger classes and it increases sport and activity fees. That makes education no longer a fair playing field! If we need to pay for these things out of pocket, out college applications wont look as good because those of us who don’t have extra cash wont want to pay for the activities. On paper it will make rich kids looks more well rounded, public education needs to stay public and fair.
Jill Stein also does not agree with the MCAS testing. She realizes that some people are not test takers and this does not make them dumb. She understands that the MCAS do not determine your all around life success and their fore too much focus is put into them. Teachers only teach the skills needed to get good grades on them and its ridiculous. Schools should be more focused on skills and not just standardize tests that to not measure any thing in the long run. Jill wants to equal out the school system and she realizes there are many out side problems that students face and she wants to make it easier for students to deal with these issues.
Jill Stein also realizes the advantage that rich families have in higher education. Debt isn’t the best way to get educates because that can set you back. She wants to lower the price of in state higher education. If we want an equal and cheep education you have to go for Jill Stein. She understands the inequality in schools first hand. Much more than the other candidates, she is on our side.
-Students for Stein
PS Join the Green Rainbow Party!
Dear Editor
The student body of high schools around the state should recognize what Deval Patrick has done for all of us. He has worked to reduce our dependency on oil, which in the end will reduce gas prices. Nobody likes to pay for gas, especially when it is so expensive. With another term with Deval Patrick, the gas prices will drop and there will be more money in the pockets of teens across the state. I personally am working on saving for college and every penny will count. That is why I like what Patrick has done with his time in office and I really like where he is planning to go with his next term
Deval Patrick is also working to create more jobs within the state of Massachusetts so that many of the people who are out of work now do not have to take a job from a high school student. There are high school students out there who need a job to support their busy social life, pay for the new video game that just came out, or just planning to save for the future. Besides, the general public expects to see an eighteen year old working at McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, or any other fast food place; not a forty year old business man or woman who has recently been laid off and needs the money to stay afloat.
When Deval Patrick gets reelected, he will continue his work to improve lives for all young adults and on behalf of the students at Franklin High School, I would like to thank him for his service and encourage him to keep moving forward with the progress he has made over the past several years.
– Panthers For Patrick
Dear Editor,
Take a look at Massachusetts’s economy right now. Governor Patrick has driven us into a ditch that he does not have the ability to pull us out of. Massachusetts does not have another four years to wait for a real change. Deval Patrick’s indecisiveness and lack of leadership is what brought us to the point that families who are struggling are forced to struggle even more due to his reign of irresponsibility. But the people of the commonwealth should not lose hope! Charlie Baker is ready to come to our rescue. Many kids and students overlook the big concepts of a governor election, simply because they do not apply to them, but our ignorance will land us in incredible debt thanks to our parents. As of now, Patrick is pushing off our parent’s debt and passing it down from generation to generation. Think of yourself in a few years, and imagine a commonwealth that no matter how hard you try, you can not climb out of debt that you did not even create! If that doesn’t scare some sense into you, think about this: when you are an adult and are busy paying off your parents’ taxes, you will be passing your own debt onto your children. Charlie Baker knows how to help us out of this ditch, by creating a strict plan and sticking to it, not spending money we don’t have, and stimulating our local economy. Also, as 18 year-olds, we will be able to gamble, and now Massachusetts is passing laws trying to get casinos into the commonwealth. Baker supports having one or two large casinos in order to stimulate the economy, but not enough so that people’s hard earned money will be wasted and the unemployment rate is raised.
Candidate Jill Stein has her head in the clouds, thinking that we can just cut and then create 50,000 new green jobs. There are times when reality is tough, like now. Our 3 candidates all have different views about what to do; Patrick wants to spend more and keep taxes up to try and get the people to delay our debt overcoming us, Stein wants to create a utopia inside of the commonwealth which will not come even close to true, and Baker wants to stimulate the economy, cut taxes, have casinos, and pay off debt. If you like being in debt, or you’re the type of person who’s head is always in the stars, Patrick and Stein are for you. However, if you want to pull Massachusetts out of this depression and become the great commonwealth we once were, Charlie Baker wants to help.
– Bonzo For Baker
Dear Editor
Jill Stein is the governor for change. With her new ideas to keep us green, our economy will be booming in no time. Jill Stein wants to make jobs for you, thousands of new jobs will be created if she is elected. These jobs will be included in the fields of the green technology, more local energy workers and reduce or oil imports. I think Jill Stein is a wonderful choice for governor; she wants to lower the medical costs by keeping everyone healthy and eating better. Other Governors have been taking your hard earned dollars and spending them on costly projects like the big dig, Jill Stein will let you keep your money during these hard times. She is hardworking and will do everything she can to help the people of Massachusetts including giving them universal healthcare. I think she is a great choice for all you kids looking to go to college, she will lower all the tuitions at state colleges and universities. She wants to help kids go to college, and help families that can not afford it. She wants the state to spend more money on education and learning for the kids. Jill Stein is the governor of the people and for change. That is why Jill Stein is my choice for governor.
From,
Citizens for Jill Stein
Dear Editor,
What matters to you? What decisions will you be facing in the coming years? College, student loans, employment opportunities? Democrats and Republicans alike have not done enough in Congress to provide assistance for the problems which are crucial to young adults. Now that you are of age to vote, the power is in your hands to take imitative and elect officials who will create opportunities for not only the youth, but for all Massachusetts citizens. In the next coming weeks, think about voting for change; think about voting for Tim Cahill.
Cahill, an independent, stands apart from the stereotypical view of politics. As a father and small business owner himself, Tim understands the struggles of the middle class and is committed to creating options which will help Massachusetts move on from the recession. As Massachusetts State treasurer, Tim created the Massachusetts School Building authority, which has made over $7 billion in payments to cities, towns and school districts since 2004. Tim is also the backbone of the Massachusetts state lottery, the most successful lottery in the country which provides millions of dollars in local aid. As for employment, he is a strong supporter of the creation of casinos in our state, which would provide millions of jobs and bring an overwhelming amount of revenue to the state.
As we head to the polls in the coming weeks, Tim Cahill has our vote, and we hope he has yours too. Our state, and our country, needs a fresh face to voice the opinion of the everyday American. Tim Cahill Understands the Climb to get to the Top.
– Student Organization for Cahill 2010
Dear Editor,
I am writing so that all of Massachusetts teenagers know to vote for Charlie Baker in the upcoming governor election. Charlie Baker has my vote for governor because he cares about lowering taxes. Baker feels that because teenagers work hard in school and their part time jobs, they should not be penalized by government and forced to pay large percentages of their paychecks. Unlike current Massachusetts’s governor Deval Patrick who wants to keep taxes at the high rate they are at, Baker is promising us to lower the taxes to 5 percent. Governor Patrick made unrealistic promises during his last campaign, which he did not fulfill during his term as governor.
The promises that Charlie Baker has been making throughout the current campaign are not unrealistic. He wants to focus on using alternative energy sources, which in turn would cut down gas prices for teenagers, and would then allow us to drive our cars more. Because of these reasons and more, I believe that Charlie Baker would be the smartest choice for Massachusetts’s governor. Not only does he understand the needs of the adults, but he also relates common issues to teenagers. A vote for Charlie Baker is a step in the right direction!
–Baker’s Best Biddies